Apparatus for the production of carbon black



Feb. 7, 1928. 1,658,676

w. F. FULTON APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CARBON BLACK Filed May 31, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 7, 1928.

1,658,676 W. F. FULTON APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CARBON BLACK Filed May 31, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I 32 3 3 i 37 ammo/whoa William Ji'f'ulion Patented Feb. 7, 1928. 6

UNITED STATES v 1,658,676 PATENT "OFFICE.

WILLIAM FARRELL FULTON, OF SHE-"FINEIPC'FII, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR T PALME CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTJEQN OF CARBON BLACK.

' Application filed May 31,

The present invention relates to improvements' in apparatus for the production of carbon black, and more particularly the mvention refers to the manufacture of a commercial carbon black from natural gas and other hydro-carbon vapors.

I An object of the invention is to produce a carbon which will not be gray in color, but which will be of a commercial grade without the necessity of subjecting the carbon, after production, to subsequent processes.

A further object of the inventlon to provide an improved apparatus for the production of carbon rapidly and economically, 16 in which the hydrogen gas evolved during the process is utilized for the production of heat necessary in the process of maklng the carbon from the natural gas or hydro-carbon vapors.

With the foregoing and other ob ects 1n view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and W111 be more particularly pointed out in the clalms appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a. top plan view with parts broken away, showing an improved apparatus for carrying out the present Invention.

Figure 2' is a longitudinal central vertical section taken on the line 2-2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on 35 the line'33 in. Figure 2. a,

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectlon taken on the line 4-4 in Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5-5, also in Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 6 designates a rotatable collector cylinder on the exterior Surface of which the carbon black is adapted to be deposlted. This cylinder is arranged to receive the cold 45 gas through the inlet pipe 7 under the control of a valve 8. The inlet pipe 7 extends through a cylinder head 9 which is affixed as by the screws or other fastenings 10 to one end of the collector cylinder 6. The 50 head 9, or the cylinder, is provided wlth a sprocket 11 for receiving the cha n 12 by which the collector cylinder is sub e cte d to a constant rotary movement. The chaln 1s driven by a sprocket 13 on a shaft 14, having 55 the pulley 15 engagedby the drive belt 16.

1927. Serial No. 195,426.

This belt is driven from any appropriate source of power and the pipe 7 is connected with a source of supply of the natural gas or hydrocarbon vapors.

'The cylinder 6 is mounted within a furnace, retort or heating chamber 17 and is provided with the outlet pipe 18 for the heated gas, which extends through the opposite removable head 19 of the collector cylinder 6. This collector cylinder may be mounted upon appropriate bearings or it may rotate upon the pipe ends. The gas outlet pi e 18 extends up through the chimney or ue 20 and connects with a downcomer coil 21 having the lower branch 22 extending through the side of the stack 20 and connecting with the vertical pipe 23. A by-pass '24 is shown as connected between the upper end of the pipe 18 and the vertical pipe 23 for cutting out the coil 21. A normally closed valve 25 is disposed in this by-pass.

The pipe 23 communicates at its lower end with the branch pipes 26 and 27, which connect with the two manifolds 28 and 29 mounted in or at the sides of the refactory arches 30 and 31. The manifolds 30 and 31 are mounted upon the refractory bed or base 32 of brick or other appropriate material In which the lower half portion of the combustion tube 33 is centrally mounted. The upper half of this combustion tube extends up between the refractory arches 30 and 31, which are shaped into arch form to conform substantially with the contour of the tube 33 and to provide narrow passages 34 and 35 between the tube and arches at opposite sides. Within the arches are passages 36 and '37 connecting with the manifolds 28 and 29. The inner terminal ends of the passages 36 and 37 are given an upward inclination as shown at 38 and 39.

The combustion tube 33 is supplied in suitable quantity with refractory particles 40 on which is impressed and retained a high heat supplied by the burner 41. This burner receives oxygen through a pipe 42 under the control of a valve 43 in the form of air, steam or the like and hydrogen is supplied to the burner 41 by the pipe 44, which con-. 1 nccts by means of various branches 45 with the ridge portion of the convergent roof 46 of the retort. The combustion tube 33 connects also with the stack 20, which is appro priately mounted in the bed. A scraper 47 is arranged to remove the carbon from the collector cylinder 6 and the scraper is disposed on an inclination, whereby the removed carbon will slide down the upper surface of the scraper blade into a trough l8 along which it is advanced by the spiral or other conveyor 49 to a suitable depository.

In the use of the apparatus the gas entering through the pipe 7 to the end 9 of the collector cylinder 6 will itself tend to cool the collector cylinder, but will become highly heated from the heat emanating from the combustion tube 33 below. The heated gas passes out through the outlet pipe 18 and 1ntothe coil 21, also heated, by the roducts of combustion passing up through t e stack 20. From the coil 21 the highly heated gas is circulated to the two opposite manifolds 28 and 29 and from thence to the numerous passages 37. The gas issues in jets from the up-turned ends 38 and 39 of these transverse passages and merges into a thin stream ,or sheet within the narrow space between the upper portion of the combustion tube 33 and the arches 30 and 31, the arches guiding the heated gas 'toward the central opening between the arches and up against the collector cylinder 6, which is disposed directly above this opening. In this zone the gas is decomposed to carbon and hydrogen. The carbon deposits upon the outer surface of the collector cylinder 6 which is in rotary motion, while the hydrogen escapes upwardly and is carried by the pi e 44 to the burner 41 in the combustion to 33. The carbon is'scraped from the collector cylinder. 6 by the blade 47, is deposited in the trough 48 and conveyed toits destination by the conveyor 49. The insulation' 32 drives the heat in the refrac tory tube to the upper half of the tube against which the gas im inges. The flow of heat within the combustion tube 33 will be at right angles to the direction of movement of the thin layer of gas or vapor in the spaces 34 and 35. This relatively right an-[ gular movement and the velocity of the gas results in the production of a carbon which of a carbon of commercial grade not gray in color.

This superior grade of carbon black, formed in a very small area and rapidly 'passed to a cooler zone to prevent burning or destruction of its commercial properties,

. is produced in a very short time by the imroved rocess'and in an inex nsive way y the 1m roved 'ap aratus. e arrange ment is sue that hig er yields of decomposition are effected. The gas to be decomposed does not come in contact with the burned gas or products of combustion which produces a superior fuel for heating the combustion cylinder. The collector cylinder is heated and the gas is passed at right angles over the outside of this heated cylindeI: whereby to secure the maximum deposit effect.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such chan es and modifications being re stricted only y the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is 1. An apparatus for the production of carbon black comprising a rotary collector cylinder having communication with a source of gas supply and for heating the gas, manifolds for receiving the heated gas from said collector cylinder, arches having passages for receivin the gas from the manifolds, a substantiall horizontal combustion tube between sai arches and forming therewith curved thin combustion spaces opened and communicating at the upper portions for directing the decomposed gases atsubstantially right angles against the rotary collector cylinder.

2. An apparatus for the production of carbon blac comprising a rotary collector cylinder having communication with a source of gas supply and for heating the gas, manifolds for receiving the heated gas from said collector cylinder, arches having passages for receivin the gas from the manifo ds, a substantia ly horizontal combustion tube between said arches and forming therewith curved thin combustion spaces open and communicatin at the upper portions for directing the ecomposed gases at substantially right angles against the rotary collector cylinder, a scraper bearing against said rotary collector cylinder for removing the carbon, and a conve or positioned to receive the carbon from tlie scraper and carry same to the destination.

3. An apparatus for the production of carbon black comprising a rotary collector cylinder having communication with a source of gassupply .and for heating the as, manifolds for receiving the heated gas rom said collector cylinder, arches having passa es for receivin the gas from the mani olds, a. substantially horizontal combustion tube between said arches and forming therewith curved thin combustion spaces opened and communicating atthe u per portions for directing the-decompos gases at substantially right angles against the rotary collector cylinder, a scraper blade disposed in contact with the rotary collector cylinder,

wasp-re said scraper blade beingdisposed on an inclination, a trough atnthe lower portion of the blade for receiving the scraped carbon,

and a conveyor extending through the trough for conveying the removed carbon horizontal combustion tube extending through the retort below the collector cylina refractory base in which the combus-- der, tion tube is partially setin, a stack connecting with one end of the combustion tube a urner connectin with the other end oi the combustion tu e, refractory pieces in said tube, a conduit placing the upper portion of said retort inconnection with the burner, means for supplying oxygen to the burner, arches on the base within the retort closely spaced from the upper portion of the tube and forming therewith narrow combustion spaces, a coil in the stack in communication with the outlet of the collector cylinder, manifolds at the sides of the arches, said arches having passages communicating with the manifolds and having up-turned ends connecting with the combustionspaces,

said combustion spaces merging together upwardly above the tube and beneath the cyl- 'inder and having communication with the cylinder.

' WILLIAM FARRELL FULTON. 

